'Baler defensive lineman Spencer Brann gets to the Trojans quarterback with teammate Devin Quintana during Friday night's season opener, which Milpitas won 24-12, to start the season.
San Benito quarterback Kyle Vallejo gets the ball before taking the sack from Milpitas linebacker Steven Fauna Friday night as the 'Balers lost 24-12 to open the season.
Junior linebacker Michael Murphy strips the ball from the running back as Evan McFadden comes in for the hit as turnovers played a huge roll in Friday night's opener against Milpitas.
Mental mistakes, costly penalties and a tremendous amount of turnovers - 11 in all and eight in the first half alone - marred the first game of the season for both the Milpitas Trojans and San Benito Haybalers Friday night in Milpitas.
And although the 'Balers managed to hold the Trojans scoreless in the second half - as well as allowing just 56 yards of total offense - the host team's halftime lead stood the test of time in the third and fourth quarters, and Milpitas held on in the end, 24-12.
"There was a lot of mental mistakes. We didn't come out as best we can," defensive lineman Sam Doty said. "We know we can do better."
San Benito actually won the turnover battle, 6-5, but in a game that would be decided on which team could capitalize on the other's mistakes, the 'Balers fell short.
"We had some real opportunities," head coach Chris Cameron said. "We had some opportunities down here in the red zone, and we came away with nothing. That part can't happen. We've got to be able to put the ball in the end zone."
Trailing 24-6 late in the first half, San Benito had a golden opportunity to cut into Milpitas' lead right before the break when a bad snap on a Trojan punt gave the 'Balers the ball on the 9-yard line. San Benito couldn't capitalize on the opportune moment, though, and instead went three-and-out.
"We need to be able to take the ball at folks," Cameron said. "After we were able to start doing that in the second half a little bit more, we got a little more physical and pushed them off the line of scrimmage a little more.
"So, are there some things to build on? Yes. Are we even close to being there? Not yet."
Senior running back Mitchell Cook, who finished with seven rushes for 40 yards, left the game with a broken collarbone. Cameron said he left to get x-rays, and depending upon the severity of the injury, he could be out for either four to six weeks or the rest of the season.
Cook was the team's leading rusher at that point. Nick Acosta finished with eight rushes for 21 yards and a touchdown, while San Benito totaled 174 yards of offense.
Kyle Vallejo got the start behind center in what was his first varsity game, and the junior signal-caller was given the opportunity to stand opposite Trojan inside linebacker Steven Fanua, who Cameron said on Thursday had the "best motor" he's seen in a football player in the last five years.
Vallejo was routinely rushed at times, though, and finished 9 of 31 for 113 yards and a touchdown.
"I thought I did all right, but I missed some opportunities," Vallejo said. "We were in the red zone a couple times, and I couldn't find it - a couple missed passes on my part, and not necessarily on the receivers.
"There were some positive moments out there tonight, but there were obviously some weak ones, too. We need to improve and get those strong points going."
Vallejo found Evan McFadden twice for 38 yards and a score, and hooked up with Anthony Padilla four times for 65 yards.
In what was a game of field position early on, the Trojans jumped out to a quick 17-0 lead in the first quarter.
After a 37-yard field goal attempt put them up 3-0, Milpitas quarterback Cameron Hernandez hooked up with Chris Albright for a 52-yard touchdown pass. Hernandez later scampered in from five yards out to put the Trojans up by three scores after one quarter.
The first time the 'Balers started a drive in Milpitas territory - from the Trojans 36-yard line - they managed to capitalize. In a package play that offensive coordinator Bryan Smith introduced this year, Vallejo found Evan McFadden on the right side for a 26-yard touchdown.
"That's one of our new packages we've been working on. It was a five-step drop. It was excellent. It was great," Smith said. "I thought Kyle played very well, being a first-time varsity player and staring down some of the guys he was going against."
Milpitas, though, quickly took any momentum away on the ensuing possession. On just the second play from scrimmage, Hernandez pump faked and found Albright running a vertical route down the right sideline. The senior wide receiver caught the arcing spiral in stride, then sprinted 74 yards to pay dirt.
The score came with 8:54 left in the second quarter, and although Milpitas failed to score for the remainder of the game, it would be enough in the end.
San Benito's defense - which allowed 270 yards of total offense, 214 of which came in the first half - certainly settled down as the game progressed.
"I saw a huge improvement. I saw some things we made some adjustments on, in terms of personnel, and our kids came and played a pretty nice second half," defensive coordinator Tod Thatcher said. "We got a lot of pressure on [Hernandez], and if they can't run the football, we're able to get a little bit of pressure and things change."
The 'Balers added another touchdown in the third quarter when Acosta, who was initially stuffed in the backfield, pushed forward on a second effort and snuck through a Milpitas defensive line from two yards out.
It was the only touchdown in the second half.
"We have a bad taste in our mouth," Doty said. "We're gonna come out and play as hard as we can (next week), get rid of those mental mistakes and be perfect."
JV Note:
The San Benito junior varsity team scored three times in the first half and never looked back as they upended Milpitas 26-0 Friday on the road.
Coach Luis Espinoza, though, said he was a little nervous last week after his team struggled on offense at the three-team scrimmage.
"If I had a game ball, I'd give it to my red offense," said Espinoza, referring to his first string. "And defensively, they did awesome."
Jeremy Mitchel and Adam Huaracha picked off a pass and recovered a fumble, respectively, while San Benito got on the scoreboard on their first offensive drive when Nathan Castro ran it in from two yards out.
The Haybalers added to their lead later when Jason Roascio had a five-yard rushing score, while in the second quarter, quarterback Tyler Decker found Andrew Turner on a 20-yard touchdown pass.
To top it off, on the kickoff to start the third quarter, Matt Vallejo returned the ball 65 yards to the end zone.
Frosh Note:
Anthony Cervantes scored twice and led the San Benito freshman team to a 16-0 shutout win over Gilroy on Thursday night.
Cervantes put the Haybalers up when he recovered a loose ball in the end zone, then padded San Benito's lead on a long rushing touchdown, approximately 40 to 45 yards said coach Herb Bocksnick.
"We seemed a little nervous, but as the game progressed, we seemed to settle in and play some good, physical football," Bocksnick said.
Andrew Matheson Andrew Matheson is a sports writer for South Valley Newspapers. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 334 or at amatheson@svnewspapers.com.
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